riverviewlogs | exorcising the ghost

Entry tags:

exorcising the ghost

who: Bucky and TOTALLY OPEN
what: Some spying, some clothes shopping, some rescuing
when: Throughout August
where: Quarantine
warnings: None. If any crop up, they'll go in the subject lines

[A: Open; sneaking around]

[Pierce might be gone, but that doesn't mean that Bucky feels like it's safe to relax. The man could easily have recruited, could have left planted spies and operatives behind, or files that could be very damaging in the wrong hands. He needs to make sure for himself that any of these people, or any of this information, is weeded out and dealt with appropriately.

Which is why if anyone is working in, or happens to be at, the hospital, any of the laboratories in the city, any buildings that deal with high level technology, or the perimeter guard; there's a late night visitor who definitely isn't authorised to be there. Sneaking through the hallways in black combat gear, obviously armed, and hacking into computer systems.]

[B: Open; shopping and rescuing]

[He's really trying to make an effort to get involved in life again, not just surviving. And part of that means coming into the city itself even if he hates it, making the skin between his shoulder blades itch as if a knife is coming right for him.

He's decided his first self appointed mission will be to get some new clothes, because the ones he has are falling off him from the weight he's lost hiding out for months, and have got threadbare besides. But he's also keeping an eye out for any trouble, and so if he notices anyone in danger from anything - speeding car, mugger, oddly strong breeze - he'll drop all his bags to intervene.]

[C: Closed to Tony Stark; memories]

[He's not sure whether Stark will still be willing to help him, after he blew up at him the last time and then literally disappeared for weeks on end to hide from Pierce. He's also not sure why he feels guilty, and it annoys him that he does. He's even got an apology gift tucked awkwardly under one arm, because he can vaguely remember his Ma telling him that this was the polite way to do things, and he already deeply regrets getting anything in the first place.

Too late now.

He forgoes knocking and slips into the lab, as long as he finds it open, and will take a perch on any of the nearby tables to wait for Stark to show up.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[South is doing paperwork. The least fun part of any job, especially one as special guard. Reports of drunks, reports of what monsters were killed where and how many, nests that were around, damaged places that need further investigating to see what did it and if they need to be worried. Ya know, the usual here.

Problem is, she got half way through when she fell asleep, sprawled across the desk with datapads and food wrappers littering her space. A ferret is asleep half in her hair, half on her shoulder, until it hears a noise and starts running circles over her head and squealing quietly to her.]

Bonnie for the love of fuck, chill out-

[She starts to chide the ferret, but stops when the hair on the back of her neck sticks up, sensing she's not alone after all. She's quiet as she gets from her seat, putting Bonnie on her little ferret bed. Her hand on her pistol, she crouchs as she eases out of the office and peers down the hall. She spots the man, in his gear and lurking around like a creep. He doesn't look familiar, which isn't new, she's been out of the loop for a while,but he doesn't look like he belongs, either. So she waits until his back is to her, gets to her full 5'11 height (nearly 6' in her boots) and squares her hips and shoulders, pistol aimed]

Ya lost, pal?

Edited 2018-08-07 01:23 (UTC)

[He feels the prickle between his shoulder blades just before she talks, something from long experience that tells him there's a weapon trained on him, and he's half turning as her words drift over to him.

He doesn't recognise her, but he can see that she knows what she's doing. She doesn't look afraid, and that pistol is being held with a steady confidence, which means this could turn ugly fairly quickly.

He decides to try and bluff this out, his entire body language shifting in a moment to something more casual.]

Yeah, actually, I think I took a wrong turn back there somewhere, maybe you can help me?

[Does she believe it? Not really, not. This hour and his clothes make her very, very skeptical of his change and answer. But, just in case, she does lower her gun and look him over with a disbelieving eye]

Lost. Right. What're you looking for, then?

[Because, maybe there's a sliver of a chance he really is lost and needs to find a place. Maybe he's new to the guard. Maybe he was told to meet someone here. Most likely he's full of shit, but she doesn't shoot civvies. The gun isn't holstered, but it's lowered to a neutral point, ready but less of a threat.

South's face doesn't much change with her being on guard, maybe even glaring a bit. Which could be intimidating, she knows her fucked up right eye messes with some people, makes them uncomfortable- though she has a feeling he probably wouldn't get intimidated by it. But whatever intimidation she has going for her might be a little hindered by the quiet sound of scampering nails on the hard floor and the sudden appearance of Bonnie scaling up her back and perching on her shoulder, peering out curiously from strands of blond and purple hair. Welp. The little sweater definitely doesn't help this situation,]

[It's a mistake for her to lower her gun, but it lets some of the tension loosen in his shoulders. She's still ready if he should attack, but she seems less likely to immediately fire on him now. Not that he's afraid, it wouldn't be the first time he'd been shot and he's fairly sure that he could still get away, but he doesn't want to fight anyone unless he has to.]

Archives, someone I know told me about a position here, figured I'd look him up.

[That's not entirely a lie. He does sort of know someone who offered him a place here, and he knows a lot of people who work here who haven't offered him a place that he could still use as names if he needs them, but it's enough of a lie to suit his purposes.

His gaze never flickers when the little animal appears, she's the one who might be a threat and not her pet.]

Ya know, most people who are legit come during normal times, just saying.

[She says with no small amount of distrust in her voice. She keeps the gun out, not holstered, not ready to just trust this guy at his word. She tries to ignore Bonnie, even as the bratty ferret nibbles on her hair, keeping her eyes on him]

Who's your friend that told you about a position here?

Steve Rogers.

[He doesn't clarify which one, though he's sure that either of them would vouch for him even if they don't know why he's sneaking around the barracks at ridiculous hours of the night.]

So can you point me the right way?

[She's only met one of the Steve Rogers, but his name's been around a lot. So, she somewhat believes him, but does still hold her doubts. It's a known name, could be a lie still- but she can't know for sure. So she holsters her gun, reluctantly, but keeps her guard up. She doesn't need a gun to kill a man, after all.]

I'll go with you. So you don't get lost.

Sure, thanks.

[It doesn't matter, he's pretty sure that he can get what he came for even with her looking over his shoulder, and it doesn't matter if she tattles to Steve after he's gone because he'll already have what he needs.]

[She gestures him to start walking a direction, wanting to keep him in front of her and planning to just tell him the direction to turn as they go]

What was your name again?

[She tries to ignore Bonnie, who thus far has been content to nibble on her hair and sit there. But as she starts along, the bratty thing starts making a mess of noise, scampering from one shoulder to the other across her back]

[He has a knife just up his sleeve and he prepares himself for possibly having to use it, because if she knows his name then it might be because she's one of the HYDRA plants that he's looking for.]

James Barnes.

[He continues to ignore the little creature on her shoulder, letting something like that distract him could prove a disaster if it came down to a fight. He doesn't let her push him in front, he falls back to walk by her side and let her lead that way.]

[The name doesn't ring any bells, but she keeps it noted away to remember later, look into. She doesn't like being side by side with her, but at least he's not behind her. Even if Bonnie is doing everything she can to be a distracting little shit- she stays focused has hard as she can on him. It all just feels...off. Funny in a bad way, like something is up that she's not in the loop with.]

South.

[She offers, then looks him over, thinking a second before adding]

South Dakota, part of the S&R, guard for the surveyors, general top of the top with guards. Been here nearly a year, feels like forever, seen people come and go, all that jazz.

[She gives some general information, maybe to fill the silence, maybe to get him to not give off such a weird vibe, maybe get info from him too...she doesn't even know herself to be honest.

She catches Bonnie after a few seconds of her being a pest, tucking her under her arm and keeping her other hand free, the one closest to her gun, just in case. Can't be too safe, especially after all the crazy shit recently]

Isn't that a place?

[It seems highly unlikely that it's a coincidence, but it also seems kind of cruel of parents to name their child South if their surname is already Dakota. Then again, it's not like he can talk, going by Bucky Barnes.

He doesn't comment on the rest of it. He's not sure why she's telling him what her position is, maybe to put him at ease? Maybe attempt to intimidate him? Either way, it's just information to be filed away for now.]

Yea and a code name for the top operating military project I was in back home. It's the only name I go by, now.

[She doesn't really tell people her birth name, even back home. It's one of those 'Stasya died when South was made' sort of things. She can't go back to who she used to be, not anymore.

South eyes him again as she shifts Bonnie around to make her stop squirming, eventually slowing to carefully set the ferret on the floor and let her scamper along next to them instead. Bratty thing.]

When'd you show up here? Long time or one of the newbies?

[He raises an eyebrow in mild disbelief. He's never met anyone that was one a top military project that just blabbed about it to a stranger, seems like she must have been a liability in the forces.

But then again, maybe she's just trying to throw him off balance and get information in return. He's not about to give her anything personal, but he doesn't mind idle chat.]

I was here in the first lot of people, long time ago now.

[With the Project disbanded and gone up in flames, she doesn't much care about telling people. Plus she likes to brag, being an 'awesome space marine' is a good liner under other circumstances]

Seriously? Never heard of you.

[Not that it's unusual, she's kept in her own bubble for a while, not wanting to trust, not wanting to risk herself or getting close to people. Eddie fucked that up though, forced her to give a shit about someone for the first time in so long. And Frank, Cisco- a small handful of friends.]

Why are you just now coming around here?

Why would you have heard of me?

[He chooses to focus on that rather than the second question, mostly because he doesn't want to discuss his reasons for being here with someone he doesn't trust even a little bit.]

Do you know everyone here?

I know a lot of names, special guard and all. Kind of a big deal- So I at least know of most people. So it's weird you've been here forever, ya know?

[Not weird enough to add to the edge she's on, but weird to her. She finally gets to their destination, snapping her fingers to get Bonnie to scamper back up to her shoulder]

No offence, but I'm going with you, just so you know.

[Just his bad luck to run into the one person who makes it their business to know everyone they can. He doesn’t really have an acceptable explanation of why he wouldn’t have been around other than the truth, and he’s not about to tell her that he lives in the ruins outside the main city and doesn’t use the network for fear of being tracked.]

Guess you’re not as observant as you thought.

[It’s not exactly wise to poke the bear, but he’s annoyed that she’s tagging along and so it just slips out.]

Oh, sorry man, must've been too busy doing everything from finding lost kids and pets to saving people outside the wall that would be dead otherwise and tagging along with survey teams and recon missions and shit like that. My b.

[She says in the most deadpanned way possible, then rolls her eyes]

Ya know, I haven't lost a single person in my charge. Only a couple injured that got that way before I got there. So. Yea.

Why are you telling me that?

[He's a bit baffled by her sharing all this information with him. He's never met someone military who boasted as much as she appears to be doing, his instincts would have been to keep his missions and their success rate close to his chest.]

Cause you said I wasn't observant, when I've just been busy with things more important than babysitting guard members or keeping up with everyone's names.

[Plus, yea, okay, she likes to brag, and show off, and be a cocky asshole. She takes her successes as badges to proudly share, awards of what she's accomplished that she can and should share]

Yeah, you also said you knew everyone here and bragged about that too.

[So clearly she's just making things up, as she's both bragging about being able to know everyone and being too busy doing more important things to know everyone.]

Look, just point me where I need to go.

[She starts to argue, because she always does- but she just gives a glare and ignores the nosy ferret pawing at her fingers and nibbling a nail]

It's right in here- what was it exactly you were doing, again?

[Oh, she remembers his story, but she wants to check if he can remember, too]

Fetching some records for Steve Rogers.

[It's a simple enough story to remember, he just hopes Steve backs him up when he's inevitably checked on.]

If you want to verify that, then go ahead, but I go on alone.

[It doesn't hurt to see if he could get it wrong, but she's unsurprising when he doesn't, still looking skeptically at him]

Pretty sure I said I was going with you, but if it's just some records for Rogers, it shouldn't be an issue. Nothing you'd need to hide.

exorcising the ghost

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